November – The Gum 15 star-forming region

This richly detailed view from the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile shows the star formation region Gum 15. This little-known object is located in the constellation of Vela (The Sails), some 3000 light-years from Earth. The glowing cloud is a stunning example of an HII region, and is similar to a more famous HII region, the Trifid Nebula (Messier 20).